Portrait of Britain

x Alexander Massek - Lyric at the Billet - London

A portrait of Lyric Mariah, one of the most inspiring individuals to ever grace my camera. Born with amniotic band syndrome, Lyric embarked on a modelling career in her early 20s, quickly becoming a role model and modelling for esteemed brands such as Fenty, Tommy Hilfiger and Skims. On this particular day, after enjoying a meal at the Crooked Billet in Clapton, we captured a series of images. Of all the photos we have taken together, this remains one of my favourites. Shot on analogue film, handprinted by myself in London, it is a testament to Lyric’s remarkable journey and enduring spirit.

x Alisa Martynova - Nowhere Near - Canterbury, Kent

Woman depicted in this portrait is Rishan from Eritrea. Her parents moved to Sudan seeking safety, but since they didn't have any documents, RIshan had to flee to the UK to avoid being deported back to Eritrea and potential imprisonment. She told me that because of the difference of cultures, she never felt at home in either Eritrea nor Sudan. This year she graduated from the university as Adult Nurse and works for KRAN (Kent Refugee Action Network ) as a Media Ambassador.

x Allie Crewe - Ruby - Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

In ‘Gather the Bones’, I made a series of portraits about how women heal when they connect to nature. We used a bronze aged landscape. Some women had experienced trauma and others, like Ruby, simply identified with the idea that we need to connect to animals and a sense of place to feel whole. Ruby said, “When you find your horse, you find yourself.” The work is about my childhood sexual abuse and the participants enacted parts of my story.

x Amanda Fordyce - Sky, down by Leigh-on-Sea

I was carrying a paddleboard down to the water when saw I Sky. I reminded myself, I’m here with friends today and I can’t run off and leave them to go take pictures. I thought, if she’s still here when we get back, I’ll get the camera out. She was still there, we chatted and I asked if I could take a picture. Sky is the founder of the Homeless Help group in Basildon, UK.

x Ameena Rojee - Aisha in the Cairngorms - Cairngorms

Aisha is a member of the Following Nan expedition. In September 2023, a group of nine women, ranging from absolute beginners to trained professionals, embarked on a four-day micro-expedition into the tumultuous Cairngorms mountain range. The Following Nan micro-expedition was inspired by pioneering Scottish mountaineer and author Nan Shepherd and her book, The Living Mountain, organised to experiment with a different approach to mountaineering – a conquest-dominated and historically male-dominated space. The aim was to collectively play with a deeper, more intentional way of being, focusing on being present in the moment, inviting in small joys, noticing and understanding the local wildlife down to the tiniest mosses near our feet, and ultimately not racing to achieve any particular goal.

x Amie Cliffen - Braving the Winds - Reading, Berkshire

Mrinal, a filmmaker from India, happened to be walking by while I was doing a few lighting tests outside in typical English weather. They kindly stood in as a model for me. I knew Mrinal was navigating life after graduating and when I looked back at these pictures, with the impending storm lurking around us and the winds lifting through their hair, I felt a sense of the grind they were probably going through in their life and, at the same time, their sunny disposition shines through. I admire that about them – they doesn’t give up. We are all braving the winds of Britain.

x Amit Lennon - Donovan Reynolds - London

Donovan (Danny) Reynolds came to the UK at the end of the Windrush generation in 1971. His parents had migrated 10 years earlier, while he and his brother stayed in Jamaica being raised by his grandparents. He arrived in the UK as a young boy and was reunited/reacquainted with his parents and now also three younger siblings who were born in the UK. Adapting to a new country, new siblings and parents that he didn’t really know was a difficult experience.

x Amit Lennon - Sir Keir Starmer - London

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer visiting Haverstock School in his north London constituency in March 2024, before the announcement of the general election. He was there to support Let Girls Play, a girls’-football-at-schools initiative, but was not allowed to play by his PR team, even though he participates in five-a-side football on a regular basis.

x Ana Margarita Flores - Margaret and Ronan Mckenzie - London

She grew up me, then I grew her up, now we’re just growing.

x Andrea Thomson - Getting Ready - Edinburgh

I was hired to photograph a large group of girls getting ready for their S5 ceilidh. This quiet in-between moment was my favourite image from the night.

x Andy Martin - Siân James - Durham, Durham

Siân James is a women’s rights campaigner and former MP from Wales. She was one of the driving forces of the Dulais Valley group, which helped striking miners and their families during the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike and helped feed over 1000 families a week from nine different centres. Women played a vital role in the dispute by organising food collections, soup kitchens, distributing food parcels, fundraising, organising pickets and speaking at rallies. The Dulais Valley support group formed a strong bond with Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), their story immortalised in the 2014 movie Pride. I photographed Siân at the Women Against Pit Closures 40th anniversary celebration held at Dunelm House in Durham in 2024. This photo is from an ongoing collaboration with No More Nowt to produce a series of portraits and written work exploring the vital roles played by women during the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike and the years that followed.

x Andy Pilsbury - Gwion - Bannau Brycheiniog, Powys

I met Gwion and his sister Cadi on a youth leadership weekend at Penpont, Wales. Gwion’s involvement in the Penpont Project reflects a fusion of youth leadership and ecological stewardship. As part of the project, Gwion and his peers are pioneering an intergenerational approach to nature recovery, collaborating with ecologists, farmers and community members to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for ecological restoration. The Penpont Project is notable for its innovative blend of youthful energy and experienced wisdom, aiming to create a sustainable and thriving environment. This initiative represents the largest of its kind, emphasising the crucial role of young people in environmental conservation and land stewardship. By documenting this project over the past year for We Feed The UK, I have witnessed the profound impact of these collaborative efforts on both the land and the community. Photographing Gwion was particularly significant to me because of his intrinsic connection to the area. He embodies the essence of the landscape, symbolising the project’s commitment to grounding its efforts in the local community. Capturing his portrait was an effort to highlight the importance of local involvement in environmental restoration and to showcase the faces behind these transformative initiatives. Gwion’s portrait was made during a sheep tuberculosis workshop led by the Davies family and tells a story of dedication, hope and the power of collective action. It serves as a visual testament to the critical role that local youth play in shaping a sustainable future, reinforcing the message that true environmental change is rooted in the collaboration between generations and the active participation of those who call the land home.

x Anna Mehta - Nina - Middleham, North Yorkshire

Taken as part of a project on growing up third-generation British Asian in North Yorkshire. Nina says, “It makes me feel proud. I don’t know anyone else who isn’t in my family who is Indian."

x Annie Tobin - Mikey Dread, Channel One Sound System - London

Mikey of Channel One Sound System stands for a portrait at Black Gold Sun Studios in London last year. Channel One is one of Britain’s most well-known and most loved systems; providing vibes since 1979. Mikey is an established and deeply respected figure in sound system culture.

x Anu Gamanagari - 74 & 17 - Lichfield, Staffordshire

It is interesting seeing how my mum interacts with my daughter. Their relationship is different to the one I share with her. It is more tender, understanding and accepting. In return my daughter shows a lot more patience than I could ever do. This dynamic showcases the unique and often profound bonds that form in intergenerational relationships. I wanted to capture the essence of these connections, reflecting the deep and meaningful ties that bridge the generations.

x Ash Islam - Suhag - Isle of Sheppey, Kent

This is from an ongoing project focusing on the small but increasing community of Muslims on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Once home to only a handful of Muslims, the Isle of Sheppey is now home to many Muslim families and individuals. I took this portrait of Suhag, who had recently moved to Sheppey, in 2023.

x Ben Grieve - Matthew Gardiner - Glasgow

Matthew is a bodybuilder from Glasgow who lost his ability to walk at 19. Less than two years after his accident he is training for his first competition. As I took his portrait he told me about his goal of attending Mr Olympia in the open division: “I don’t want to be known for my wheelchair, just my size.”

x Ben Hickling - Oh I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside - Margate, Kent

Peter rejoices in the Spring Bank Holiday after dancing to a reggae vinyl set at Margate’s Harbour Arms micropub. Peter initially approached me with great indignation after he caught me taking a candid photo of him. We managed to talk things over, as I told him about my photography pursuit and he then let me take this portrait of him, as his luscious locks blew in the wind.

x Billy Barraclough - The Burning of the Heather - Embsay, North Yorkshire

Each year the heather that covers the Yorkshire Dales and Moors is burnt back to encourage new growth. Here, a park ranger uses a rubber mat to control the fires from getting out of control.

x Brian O’ Hanlon - Ash – Dressed to Kill - Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire

The image is from a larger ongoing body of work titled ‘The Diamond’. A photographic documentary project about a small working-class music venue in Nottinghamshire.

x Carla Marcia Girvan - Gwendoline - Glasgow

A morning hailstorm turned into sunshine and gifted me with one of the most memorable projects I have ever shot. Gwen wears my favourite African hairstyle, Koroba braids, wrapped with a pink boa made from fabric scraps.

x Carla Marcia Girvan - Maungo - Glasgow

One of my dearest friends I’ve been so lucky to know and work with over the years. In my eyes their mother was an artist as I believe Maungo was not born but sculpted.

x Carla van de Puttelaar - Latasha Kirimbai, Junior Associate at Ashurst - Edinburgh

This portrait of Latasha Kirimbai, Junior Associate at Ashurst, is part of a large portrait series entitled Facing the Law. Focusing on women in the law in Scotland, the series aims to highlight their achievements.

x Carlotta Cardana - Alison Lapper - Worthing, West Sussex

British artist Alison Lapper photographed at home for The Telegraph.

x Carolyn Mendelsohn - Heather Fisher - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Elite athlete and former Olympian Heather Fisher has been photographed many times, but never felt in control of her own image. A freak accident led to a broken back and then total alopecia, something that has impacted hugely on Heather. We went on a journey exploring her past, we talked about her experiences, and then worked together in order to make a portrait that reflected her now, showing her power and vulnerability.

x Carrie Davenport - Red Velvet - Belfast

The Strand Cinema is the last surviving vintage cinema in Belfast which first started showing movies in 1935. It has just closed for renovations to make it more accessible. Before this I took a chance to take some portraits in it's gorgeous art deco cinema screen with musician Garrett Laurie.

x Casey Steffens - Wingwalkers of Rendcomb Airfield AeroSuperBatics - Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The wingwalkers are based in Cirencester. I had been in touch with them for some time and finally made a trip there. I was introduced to two young women, Kirsten and Emma. Kirsten has been there for around six years full-time and brought her childhood best friend onboard with her. They are part of the only formation display wingwalking team in the world. The airfield where they are based, RFC Rendcomb, has been there since around 1916. The wingwalkers have existed essentially since the start of flight: daredevils, and women and men who did it for the thrill. This team has been in Cirencester since the mid-80s. The team is small, comprising only two or three at a time; some have a background in trapeze or dance. The professional wingwalkers also have a hand in running the public wingwalks, when anyone can go on top of the plane. They clean the planes, refuel and keep the office in order. Kirsten, one of the professional wingwalkers, designed the costumes with harnesses and cables in mind and they are made by a woman in a nearby town. Prior to the pandemic they were doing 70 shows per year, and performed all around the world. They have had planes shipped to China to perform there. During airshows they climb up to their rig and harness, holding handstands, spinning on their rig 45 to180 degrees, as well as unclipping themselves to be seated with one leg around the wing for a pass, concluding the airshow with an arabesque position with one foot on the back of their seat before taking their position inside the plane, strapping in and heading home. All of this happens at 150–200mph.

x Chantel King - Joel - London

My younger brother Joel was diagnosed with autism when he was 3, this was a new level of understanding my whole family had to navigate. Joel is fully verbal and lives in an assisted living accommodation and although he may appear independent, he still needs support. Joel’s love for art shone through at a young age, it was his way of communicating, my mum enrolled him on this incredible art program aimed at young adults with learning disabilities and autism called ‘Artbox’. I am forever grateful to ‘Artbox’ for guiding my brother through some difficult years and for supporting him. Joel draw’s characters on paper as well as digitally, he then constructs them into models, he uses ‘Lego’ as the skeleton then builds clay around them before painting and adding adornments. They are truly amazing. Whilst photographing him I was in awe with the details he puts in, I asked him to work on a ‘Work in Progress’, it was so great to see him at work, he was immersed into his world; every detail was thought through. I spend a lot of time with my brother and often I’m very sad that he may not find love or have an abundance of friends but when he is creating he is truly happy and in his element. For him art is his way of expressing love and connection.

x Charli Botha - Margaret at Home - London

Margaret and I met 10 years ago on the streets of Soho and have been friends ever since. I was instantly attracted to her charisma, political art and unapologetic insistence on being herself. My fear of being different has always drawn me to those who are not. Margaret Pepper is just like many other 80-year-old women. She tends her garden, speaks often of her grandchildren, and loves a proper, strong cup of tea. Twenty years ago, Margaret had sex reassignment surgery. “This is actually an incorrect statement, as I never actually changed sex at all, but merely got rid of a birth defect, and reverted to what I should always have been: a woman,” she says. “It was a medical problem sorted out medically, there was no psychological adjustment, except the burden being lifted. At the age of five I had an overwhelming urge to experiment with female clothing, but in 1949 there was no such thing as trans and I had no point of reference to connect to. I got married, we had five children together, something that amazes me even to this day. My wife was hospitalised with dementia in 2002 at which time I came out as ‘trans’ and began attending trans gatherings, discussion groups, parties and so on. Eventually I had surgery in March 2004 and started to paint pictures… And never really stopped!” These images portray Margaret through the lens of her quiet moments. The many ways in which Margaret Pepper is seen, or perhaps, not seen.

x Charlie Clift - Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal at the Bafta Film Awards 2024 - London

It was an honour to return to the Royal Festival Hall to create portraits at Britain’s biggest night in cinema. Behind the scenes I had the pleasure to meet the stars of 'All of Us Strangers' Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal after their moment in the spotlight. It really does take a village to make a project like this to come to life. Working with the super dedicated squad at BAFTA is a dream come true. 

x Charlie Clift - Paix Robinson at the Bafta Film Awards 2024 - London

It was an honour to return to the Royal Festival Hall to create portraits at Britain’s biggest night in cinema. Behind the scenes I had the pleasure to meet Paix Robinson just seconds before the show began. It really does take a village to make a project like this to come to life. Working with the super dedicated squad at BAFTA is a dream come true.

x Christian Cargill - Don McCullin - Lewes, East Sussex

It’s a rare thing getting to meet one of your true heroes. Don McCullin’s photographs of East London, war zones, the north and beyond have shaped the way we’ve seen the world over the last 60 years. His work has been my constant inspiration for working in documentary storytelling, and his images are more important than ever with what’s happening in the world today. I’m very touched he was gracious enough to allow me to take three portraits on medium format – this is the third.

x Christian Sinibaldi - - London

People have come to Britain from all over the world to work in the NHS since its creation in 1948. Today, around one in six people working in the NHS are non-British and many others are the children and grandchildren of migrant healthcare workers. Without its international workers, the NHS would not have become the institution it is today, but their crucial role has largely been ignored. Says Allyson Williams: “I came to London in May 1969 from Trinidad to train as a nurse at the Whittington Hospital in Highgate. To get over the loneliness, I met up with the friends in my set as often as I could. This was usually in the dining room at meal times. The food was full of carbs and very heavy but we had no choice but to eat it. As a result, we all put on loads of weight in a short space of time. I always made sure I was invited out. We went to house parties in places like Wood Green, Tottenham, Golders Green, Brixton and Croydon. When we worked late on Saturday night and early on Sunday morning, we still went out. We would party all night and return to the nurses home about 6am, shower and then go on duty for 7am. No one prepared you for how the patients were going to treat you. They’d slap your hand away and say, ‘Don’t touch me, your black is going to rub off on me.’ One day I stood up in the ward and said, ‘I know I am black. I have been black for 21 years. So tell me something I don’t know.’ And there was silence.”

x Christian Sinibaldi - Covid Generation - Zubaydah Abd - London

“The impact of lockdown has been a slow boil for me. I thought I knew how it had affected me but I’ve recently realised that my brain has been churning my experiences in the background, because I’ve only just surfaced the realisation that I’m still not being true to myself: that my self-worth is still entirely tied to my academic success and I see every experience I have as only being worthwhile if it has some sort of academic validation. I’ve also only recently realised that I was probably quite depressed during the lockdown year. As a consequence, I decided to consciously widen my horizons: make new friends, maybe take up a hobby and be kinder, to myself and to others. Covid has changed me a lot. When I was 10, I wrote a 15-year plan for my life. Going into Covid, I’d never deviated from that plan. But looking back now, 18 months after lockdown ended, I’m beginning to wonder if being so focused was such a good idea. The question of whether I’m wasting my time has become a constant anxiety to me. I’ve realised how finite time is and I’ve thought about all the time I’ve spent revising. I used to spend 8 to 10 hours a day in the library. Recently, I’ve begun thinking: ‘Is this really how I want to spend the life I’ve been gifted with?’. I still want to be a doctor but I also want to put as much experience as I can into my life and live as much as I possibly can. Another thing I’ve recently accepted is that after the peace of lockdown, life is often too fast-paced for me nowadays. Covid gave me time to focus and think deeply for the first time, and now I’m beginning to think that I need to slow my life down again so I can think deeply about the new choices I’m making and where life’s momentum is taking me. I feel I’m at quite an exciting moment actually; like I’m on the brink of finding an answer to how I want to live my life.

x Christina Chalkia - A Portrayal of Beauty and Representation - Salford, Greater Manchester

Through this image, I would like to present the female beauty as an example of representation, inclusivity and empowerment through the female gaze. It is a depiction of representation of African beauty in a ‘traditional set-up’ with the Baliklis looking straight at the camera with confidence and strength, which gives a piece of her identity at that moment.

x Cian Oba-Smith - Khloe, Notting Hill Carnival - London

Khloe, photographed on the Adults Day of the 2023 Notting Hill Carnival at sunset.

x Cian Oba-Smith - Jhemar - London

From the series ‘Among Flowers, Tears and Rain’, this is Jhemar photographed in Brixton where he grew up. The portrait is part of a wider series looking at the issue of knife violence in London. In 2017, Jhemar’s 17-year-old brother was stabbed and killed; in the years since then Jhemar has become an advocate for young people, working as a mentor as well as pursuing his passion as a rapper.

x Ciaran Spencer - The Zhyhunova Family - Nottingham

This image was taken as part of a project recording the members of the Nottingham branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB); including new members, refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine (such as the the Zhyhunova family), as well as second and third-generation Ukrainians.The image was taken on large format 4x5 Film.

x Claire Walmsley Griffiths - Dawn, New Langdale Photographer - Blackpool, Lancashire

Dawn is a photographer based in Blackpool, and a member of the New Langdale Photographers, who have been established for nine years. The group photographs twice a week, exploring elements of nature, architecture and the town they live in. I worked with the group for over four years, hosting workshops and creating projects to uncover shared experiences. The photography group for Dawn and her contemporaries is as much about a social experience and seeing friends as it is about taking a picture. This image was created in a portrait session where the group were capturing each other, a new experience as they began to point the camera at each other rather than at their surroundings.

x Claudia Gschwend - Portrait of Esé - London

“Plaistow is in the East End of London, so very cockney. Growing up there were lots of pubs, pie-and-mash shops and a notable cockney accent. I lived about ten minutes from the old West Ham United football stadium, so every game day I could hear them chanting ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles’. People from Plaistow really loved the area and were proud of the rich history.  Like most places in London, it’s slowly being gentrified. All the beautiful old pubs are now either a Tesco or a betting shop. Nearly all of my friends are priced out and are either moving further into Essex or to a new country. You almost never hear cockney rhyming slang, and I wouldn’t say I know anybody by name on my old street any more. It feels less like a community every time I go home to visit” – Esé

x Colin Stout - Everyday London

Since I retired as a photographer from the Haymarket Media Group two years ago I spend much of my time working on personal photographic Projects. This particular photograph is from a project about London's rich and multi-cultural society. I use a Canon EOS1 DX with a 40mm lens for most of my street.

x Damian Wilk - UAL Student's Occupation - London

University of the Arts London students gather for another occupation night. They put up their makeshift tent made of protest banners every night from scratch – so it’s never exactly the same. They meet to discuss the news, the books they have read, share songs and poems that are important to them. They see their activism as their responsibility and as a way to cope with terrible news. They are calling for their university to divest from Israel, they are actively holding their institution to account and trying to maintain negotiations. The students work collectively and bring their creative talents into their campaign. When Suella Braverman called London’s ceasefire-supporting demonstrations “hate marches”, it was not just factually wrong and morally insulting, it was effectively a threat aimed at people like these students, who might then think twice before attending these peaceful marches or publicly showing their support for the immediate ceasefire in Palestine. There is a fear of reprisals and of insititutions punishing those who openly campaign – all because they decided to peacefully march and campaign against the war and express their right to protest. For these reasons, students did not want to show their faces. It felt like a risk. This is the atmosphere in the UK in 2024. Retouch help: Maider Oribe Marcos

x Dan Dennison - Nathan, Taking a Break - Greater Manchester

In between games of five-a-side football, Nathan* leans over the railing at his park’s sports pitch. He, his brother and his younger sister are in one of 422,000 households impacted by the two-child benefit limit policy. The two-child limit legislation means that a family with a third or subsequent child born from 06 April 2017 claiming Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit no longer receives additional amounts for these children. Currently one in 10 children are impacted by it and it is considered a key driver of poverty in the UK. We spent six months with families across the country to build a picture of how this rule is impacting day-to-day family life. Parents talked frequently of fairness and were at pains to explain how they must treat all children the same, even if the government does not. This project was made for Save the Children UK. *All children and parent’s names have been changed in line with Save the Children’s safeguarding policies.

x Dan Dennison - Cara, Having a Snack - Wiltshire

Without the payment for her four-year-old, Cara*, mum Carol* says finances are extremely tight. “The middle two children do notice how stressful things can be. My son will cry and he’ll say, ‘Mum, why are you so upset?’ And I’ll just say it’s one of those things, it’s hard.” Carol* is a part-time teaching assistant and exam invigilator living in Wiltshire, and is one of 422,000 families impacted by the two-child limit to benefits. A trip to the park on their new-build estate is a chance to blow off steam in amongst a morning of playing games at home and the usual screen time. “I could work more hours, but when would I see them, and I need to make sure there’s a decent meal on the table,” she says. Currently one in 10 children are impacted by the two-child policy and it is considered a key driver of poverty in the UK. We spent six months with families across the country to build a picture of how this rule is impacting day-to-day family life. Parents talked frequently of fairness and were at pains to explain how they must treat all children the same, even if the government does not. This project was made for Save the Children UK. *All children and parent’s names have been changed in line with Save the Children’s safeguarding policies.

x David J Shaw - Lukas of Arsenal Gay Gooners - London

Lukas who is a member of Gay Gooners, Arsenal FC’s LGBTQ+ fan group. Gay Gooners are the UK’s first and largest LGBTQ+ football fan group and provide a safe space at Arsenal games. Part of an ongoing project documenting ‘Pride In Football’, a growing UK-wide movement of football fan groups for LGBTQ+ supporters.

x Dougie Wallace - Soho Unlocked – Portrait 1 - London

‘Soho Unlocked – Portraits’ is an ongoing social documentary project that captures the rebirth of London’s famous quarter. This vibrant neighbourhood has always been at the forefront of the global zeitgeist, attracting a mix of edginess, sleaze and high class. The Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of Soho for two years, but as socialising resumed, the desire for self-expression surged. The streets are now filled with extravagant characters, from heavily made-up drag artists to DIY fashion kids whose accessories inspire the catwalks of tomorrow. Soho’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community stands out, challenging old hegemonies and ushering in a future that is rainbow: open-minded and inclusive.

x Dunja Opalko - Architect Zoe Chan and Her Daughter Max - London

This portrait shows architect Zoe Chan, mother of two, with her daughter Max in their Hampstead home. I photographed them for my ‘Creative Mothers’ project, which is about women who run their own business while raising children.

x Ed Lee - Big Mike in Profile - Sheringham, Norfolk

Big Mike is a professional wrestler who lives near me. I photographed him in my pop-up studio.

x Ed Lee - Ian the Beekeeper - Holt, Norfolk

Ian keeps bees at the bottom of my garden. I photographed him in my garage after a visit to his hives.

x Edek Goralski - Mirte Iris Rooze - London

From an ongoing project documenting Hampstead Heath.

x Elena Mendoza - Si Chen - Edinburgh

This is Si Chen, originally from China and currently residing in Scotland to pursue her dream of studying music at university and embracing a new culture. ‘Portraits of Identity’ is a photographic portrait project focused on cultural and individual identity. The aim is to capture a small part of Edinburgh’s cultural diversity, a city that embraces multiculturalism without losing its authenticity. To conceptualise these portraits, I have been inspired by the realisation, as an immigrant, that our sense of identity can be lost as we adapt to a new culture. For this reason, I photographed several individuals in a studio space with a green canvas backdrop, evoking the atmosphere of classical paintings to reflect their strong presence. Each subject has been portrayed under two different lighting conditions.

x Elena Mendoza - Huda Abdulgader - Edinburgh

This is Huda Abdulgader. Born in Libya and residing in Edinburgh for a long time, she loves the city and feels that part of her identity is connected to it. ‘Portraits of Identity’ is a photographic portrait project focused on cultural and individual identity. The aim is to capture a small part of Edinburgh’s cultural diversity, a city that embraces multiculturalism without losing its authenticity. To conceptualise these portraits, I have been inspired by the realisation, as an immigrant, that our sense of identity can be lost as we adapt to a new culture. For this reason, I photographed several individuals in a studio space with a green canvas backdrop, evoking the atmosphere of classical paintings to reflect their strong presence. Each subject has been portrayed under two different lighting conditions.

x Elijah Thomas - Idriss Sesay - Rhondda Valley, Glamorgan

This is Idriss Sesay. I grew up in the Rhondda Valley with his son Mohammed and even though I keep in touch with Mo I haven’t spoke to Idriss for about 20 years. We made this photograph in their family home in Llwynypia. He’s wearing a Boubou, an item of clothing traditionally worn across West Africa.

x Emily Stein - Weekend Papers - London

Tatenda on-site at work in Hampstead, London.

x Emma Brown - Professor Magdalene Odundo DBE - Farnham, Surrey

Ceramic artist Magdalene Odundo in her home studio.

x Emma Collins - The Afterparty - St Albans, Hertfordshire

As the party dies down, young adults gather, having shed the presence of parents – relaxed and at ease, comfortable in each other’s company, no need for show. The feeling in the air changes and the night has transitioned from high energy to a moment of chilled intimacy between childhood friends.

x Euan Myles - Alasdair Thorburn, South Ronaldsay Ploughing Match - South Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands

The South Ronaldsay Ploughing Match is a unique competition held at the highest tide every August in Orkney and is believed to date back to the 1800s. In the competition, each furrow must be identical to its neighbour. Within a four to five feet square patch, boys must plough straight and even furrows over the whole area. The judges look for the best start, which includes how the boys set the dreels, and the neatest ending of their work, as well as the overall ploughing. No help is allowed when ploughing. The fathers, grandfathers and uncles can only stand back and watch and hope their painstaking tuition has paid off. In the early days the ploughing was done in a Hope Kailyard. These days the activity has moved to the beach at Sands O’ Wright. The early ploughs often just consisted of an ox hoof, or horn, tied to a stick. In 1920, the first miniature metal plough was made by the local blacksmith, Bill Hourston. Some of these are still in use today, and they are works of art, being precise replicas in every detail of full-size adult ploughs.

x Euan Myles - Ailsa Mills, Festival of the Horse - South Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands

In the remote island of South Ronaldsay, part of the Orkney Islands, nestled between the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean, the Festival Of the Horse has taken place annually in the village of St Margaret’s Hope for over 200 years. Young girls and boys gather at the local school for a contest, circling the square dressed as working horses, complete with collar and headdress. Costumes and harnesses, often passed down through families for generations and added to over the years, are lovingly embellished with trinkets and keepsakes. This unique festival harks back to the strong agricultural heritage of the Orkney Islands when the harvest was a vital time of year for survival on this far-flung archipelago of islands in the far north of Scotland. I was granted unique access to photograph participants of the Festival Of The Horse, South Ronaldsay, in August 2023. I am facinated by the unique culture of the Orkney Islands with this particular tradition spanning back over 200 years, and some costumes being handed down through generations.

x Fabio De Paola - Karate Family - Sale, Manchester

Pictured are the Greer family – Paul, wife Katy and daughter Lucy, seven years old. They are at their weekly karate class at Sale Dojo in Manchester.

x Fabio De Paola - Angel in the Control Room - Dudley, West Midlands

Laura Davis, 35, is a call assessor for the West Midlands Ambulance Service at their centre in Dudley. Laura is pictured at her hot desk. “I’ve been in the job two years now. Early on, I was overwhelmed by this full-throttle kick-off to the day. Now, though, it’s second nature.”

x Fergus Coyle - Mark Hudson - Clevedon, Somerset

“Over the last few years I have realised, for me, cycling is something of an antidepressant. Things came to the fore over lockdown. I became the same age as my father was when he died – something which I knew was coming, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much it would affect me. In hindsight, I realised I had a full breakdown. I hardly rode a bike for months. I felt strangely guilty that I’d reached the same age. And at 47, it really brought it home just how young that actually is to die. It took a long time to come out of the state I was in, and getting back riding felt like the start of my recovery. Along with the fitness element, the sort-of-brain-cleansing is a by-product of the joy of riding. Nothing has necessarily changed once the ride has ended, though a filtering process occurs while out which undoubtedly benefits the mind. Depression has been a part of my life since my early 20s and I have generally learned to live with and manage it to the best of my abilities. It seems to come and go and I have accepted it’s a part of my make-up. When I felt better, I started to make plans for where I would like to go on the bike. I’ve had the idea of riding around the coast for a good few years but, for one reason or another, never set it in motion. Now feels like the perfect time.” – Mark Hudson Mark is best known for being the archivist of the Rough Stuff Fellowship series of books and is well respected within the cycling community.

x Fergus Riley - Drummer at the Hunting of the Earl of Rone - Combe Martin, Devon

For the past couple of years I’ve found myself spending late May Bank Holiday in North Devon for the Hunting of the Earl of Rone. It’s a four-day annual procession re-enacting the pursuit and capture of a 17th-century exiled Irish aristocrat (represented by an unnamed local kid wearing Nike Huaraches and wrapped in burlap sacks). When local boys turn 14, they are invited to join the hunt and it is with great honour that they accept. Annual badges pinned to their waistcoats represent each year of involvement. They remind me of the badges I used to sew on the arm of my cub scout jumper, before I started hanging around in cars and going up to Bristol for raves. In Combe Martin one narrow, cascading road swallows you at the top of the village and spits you out at the coastline. Often you can drive from the top to the bottom without seeing another soul. Deep beneath your feet lay miles of hidden passages, once some of the most prosperous silver mines in the country. I don’t know if it’s the innocence of teen pride, the idyllic nature of Combe Martin, or my love for the weird and wonderful south-west that keeps drawing me back, but the boys carry a sense of belonging which makes me nostalgic for my youth.

x Finlay Apps - Untitled - Cornwall

Cornwall, England’s westernmost county, intertwines its rugged beauty with a rich mining heritage. Its landscape, marked by slag heaps, red lakes and engine houses, tells the story of a revered era of prosperity brought by the 18th-century mining boom. Despite its past innovations and international contributions, Cornwall faced economic decline due to global competition and falling metal prices, becoming one of England’s poorest areas. The discovery of significant lithium concentrations and the rise in tin prices promise economic renewal, a second mining age. Yet this resurgence prompts critical questions about the potential environmental impacts, the future of tourism, and the broader consequences of renewed mining activities. From the project ‘Veins’, which encourages contemplation on the duty to protect Cornwall’s unique landscape and heritage in the face of new economic opportunities, showing the harmful impact mining’s future could have on Cornwall. Here, we see Cornwall’s inhabitants, now forced to hide from a twisted and toxic world, one that mining has already started to shape throughout Cornwall.

x Francesco Fantini - Tottenham Hotspurs - London

A Korean couple married in Tottenham.

x Francesco Fantini - Stamford Hill - London

Kids celebrating ‘biur chametz’ during the Passover Jewish holiday in Stamford Hill, London.

x Frederic Aranda - Alan - London

Scottish actor Alan Cumming photographed in the studio, January 2024. Alan wears the latest collection of British designer Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.

x Freya Najade - Fahma - London

Fahma and her friends were having a picnic in a park in Haggerston to celebrate Eid. She kindly allowed me to photograph her in the beautiful evening sun and told me that she was originally from East Africa. This image is from my ongoing series ‘Hackney Colours’, which is a lyrical exploration of my neighbourhood to capture its essence and to celebrate difference and the people of this borough. I depict mundane moments of daily life around me, fleeting encounters and Hackney’s ever-changing landscape, attempting to preserve a moment in time as gentrification steadily sanitises the eccentricity and rawness that once defined this area of London.

x George Hutton - Boy and Pheasant - Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire

x Gyorgy Englert - Apart, So Close - London

Bill and Gabriel are an elderly couple whom I have for long been wanting to take a picture of that in some ways describes their relationship and personalities. Besides their similar way of leading their common life that brings harmony for their relationship, they also have their own hobbies and differing opinions. While trying to pose them in their home, their different opinions on how they should be captured led me to make a split, symmetrical composition that refers to their similarities, but also reflects their modestly buzzing disagreement.

x Hannah Mittelstaedt - Beauty - Perranporth, Cornwall

For Cara, 29, self-confidence has been important. “I was never willing to change to make myself more palatable for others. I was made to feel shame for those things when I was younger, but I realised that I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I’m hairy, I’m fat, I have a mixture of feminine and masculine features, and I’m beautiful.” This image is from a series of portraits of trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people in natural settings. The images convey a sense of connection to one’s true self and emphasise the emotional aspects of being at home in the most important place we’re supposed to feel at home: in our own bodies. These intimate portraits invite the viewer to connect to the subjects and to push back at the culture that denigrates them. Trans people are one of the most marginalised groups in society, and some politicians are trying to win points by vilifying them. They have been the target of a relentless stream of new bills banning trans-affirming healthcare and access to public bathrooms. There is growing vitriol aimed at the trans community, and they have become a culture war issue. This is a pivotal time in trans rights and a crucial time for engagement and documentation. In the future, people looking back at us in our present will marvel at the bravery and resolve trans people showed to be exactly who they were and are.

x Hannah Mittelstaedt - Finding Self - Falmouth, Cornwall

Fork, 19, pictured with his partner Sebastian, who is also trans, first came out as a binary trans man. “I jumped headfirst into it, but now I’ve had more time, I identify as non-binary transmasc. I count myself incredibly grateful that the only hate I have gotten for being trans was receiving dirty looks in bathrooms, but I even got them pre-transition. At least now I can pull off a moustache, too. It’s horrifying to see all the anti-trans policies around currently; I wish we could all live safely and happily without being banned from bathrooms or sports because of our birth sex.” This image is from a series of portraits of trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people in natural settings. The images convey a sense of connection to one’s true self and emphasise the emotional aspects of being at home in the most important place we’re supposed to feel at home: in our own bodies. These intimate portraits invite the viewer to connect to the subjects and to push back at the culture that denigrates them. Trans people are one of the most marginalised groups in society, and some politicians are trying to win points by vilifying them. They have been the target of a relentless stream of new bills banning trans-affirming healthcare and access to public bathrooms. There is growing vitriol aimed at the trans community, and they have become a culture war issue. This is a pivotal time in trans rights and a crucial time for engagement and documentation. In the future, people looking back at us in our present will marvel at the bravery and resolve trans people showed to be exactly who they were and are.

x Harley Bainbridge - Vitalii, Sofia, Liliia and Solomiia - Wigan, Greater Manchester

Vitalii and Liliia moved to the UK in 2014 following the Russian invasion of Donbas and Crimea. Initially living in an asylum centre, they are currently in Home Office housing in Wigan with their two children, Solomiia and Sofia, litigating their ongoing legal dispute over their right to reside and work in the UK. Part of an ongoing project, ‘Road to Wigan Pier’, investigating the experiences of Ukrainian refugees living in the north of England.

x Heather Rothney - Catrina in West Penwith - West Penwith, Cornwall

I became familiar with Catrina through her book ‘Homesick: Why I Live In A Shed’, the story of how she moved back to Cornwall to live in her dad’s abandoned garden studio, having grown sick of paying extortionate rents to live in grim houseshares in cities. She no longer lives in the shed, but a slightly bigger space (though architecturally similar) to accommodate two extra people: her boyfriend and new child. She has a complicated relationship with Cornwall, having grown up in difficult socioeconomic circumstances that meant the solace of nature was something she sought out both because she loved it but also because isolation forced her to. “I think Cornwall’s sort of saddled with lots of really annoying narratives,” she said. “I definitely grew up reading some Rosamunde Pilcher and shit like that, and thinking that that was normal or something. There are loads of books about Cornwall that have got nothing to do with my experience, and so I think I grew up reading a lot of them and feeling probably quite alienated, quite confused. I think Cornwall particularly has that because people have projected onto it for so long, and there’s this kind of… I don’t know if glamour is the right word but compared to Wales, for example, there’s this sort of story about Cornwall, isn’t there, that it’s sun, sand and surf, and hippies.” This image was taken in the fields surrounding her home on a cold afternoon in January.

x Hidhir Badaruddin - Embrace - London

Dodo and Precious embrace one another.

x Hugh Fox - Always and Never at Home - London

The title of this project comes from the idea that you can be in one place and simultaneously somewhere else – the separation of the physical and the mental, the internal and external worlds. It’s about capturing something that resonates but also feels poignant, as the lines between physical and virtual become ever more blurred. Made with artist Darvish Fakhr. This image was shot at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

x India Bharadwaj - The One Percent - Derby

Despite making up roughly 9.3 percent of the UK's overall population, under 1 percent of footballers come from a British Asian background – a figure that drops even lower in women’s football. Currently playing for Derby County FC, and pictured here at its training ground, Kira Kaur Rai’s mission is to change this narrative through representation and inspire a new generation of young South Asians hoping to get into the beautiful game. She attributes her fierce self-belief to her family: “When they’re doing what they believe in, even if someone else says no, they’ll find a way to make it happen – I’ve had that instilled in me from a very young age."

x Isabelle Law - Visual Difference - Isle of Skye

Emma says: “With a visible difference you can feel quite vulnerable, even if you try to ‘cover up’. I caught a talk show on TV 30 years ago, about 10 years into my alopecia, and a woman wearing a pretty sundress suddenly revealed her bald head by removing her wig, a head that was filled with tattoos. I was mesmerised, full of tears and realised that’s what I wanted to look like. Over 25 years I gathered my collection of artwork, some belonging to the tattoo artist, one by my husband and some by myself. Each piece of work gave me back more of myself so that as I looked in the mirror, I could learn to love who I was.” Each year Emma fundraises for Alopecia UK, a charity supporting people living with alopecia.

x Jack Currie - Margaret - Edinburgh

Quite possibly the most gangster granny to ever live.

x Jack Kenyon - Peter and his Giant Onion - Malvern, Worcestershire

Peter Glazebrook holds his prize-winning giant onion at Malvern Autumn Show.

x Jack Kenyon - Deal Regatta Queen and Princesses - Ramsgate, Kent

The Deal Carnival Crown Court pose in unison at Manston Sports & Social Club, Ramsgate.

x Jack Orton - Stewart in the Mine - Isle of Portland, Dorset

The Isle of Portland has provided stone for the UK's most famous buildings. On the surface, Anima is a project about stone. But beneath its many layers, it’s a mediation on how a life of hard labour shapes masculinity.

x Jacob Cramp - Juliette in her Car Body Repair Shop - Bournemouth, Dorset

Juliette in front of a 1979 Austin mini van, which she was in the process of prepping for respraying. Juliette works alongside her brother and father in a family-run business repairing and respraying all types of vehicles.

x James Cannon - Steppers Women of Colour Walking Football Club - London

Steppers Women of Colour Walking Football Club epitomises what sport is all about: community. The team, who range in age from 42 to over 60, have created a supportive community space outside of the football pitch, putting on social activities, tours, events, support groups and more in North London. They’re proud to be playing the game they love at their age, embracing all the positives, and encourage others to join.

x James Clifford Kent - The Birth - London

Obstetric surgeons Afnan Zuhair and Osaeloke Osakwe deliver a baby via caesarean section. Afnan told me how she was born in Iraq during the Gulf War. She was just six months old when her family fled the country, eventually settling as refugees in London in 1994. She said: “I was a war baby. It’s only now, when looking back at old photographs as a mother, that I see how my parents created a protective bubble for us here in the UK, far removed from their reality. But they prioritised our happiness and education, ultimately resulting in five of my siblings also working in healthcare.” Regarding her decision to work in maternity and gynaecology, Afnan revealed: “I remember leaving the maternity unit as a junior medical student in the middle of the night and skipping through the car park! My first experiences there were full of joy, and I realised I’d found my calling.” At the end of one 12-hour-shift, Afnan and I chatted over coffee as I showed her photographs taken at the unit that day. She talked me through the images I’d taken and what these meant to her and the team. She said: “It’s true when they say it takes a village. My colleagues are the beating heart of this hospital. Their passion resonates through every stage of the pregnancy journey. Many would never witness what happens within these walls and we’re excited about this being documented in photographs.”

x James Whittaker - Roy and Friends - London

Roy (far left) sitting with his friends. They are all from the East End of London. For decades, they have sat and chatted on this bench on Roman Road in Tower Hamlets. I have recently started stopping to speak with Roy and the various friends he has with him when on my way through.

x Jason Dimmock - Dr Carly Danesh-Jones MBE - London

Dr Carly Danesh-Jones is an autistic woman and advocate, shaping policy and practice related to autistic women and girls since 2008. Over the last 15 years, Carly’s books, films and advocacy campaigned for greater acceptance, equality of diagnosis, education and safeguarding of autistic women globally.

x Jay Brooks - We Shadows – Chloe - London

A personal portrait project exploring the goth subculture and all its divergent permutations.

x Jeremy Young - Untitled - London

When I first met Caroline I was struck by her presence among all the porcelain. Visually, the shop and its contents were simply an extension of her and her personality.

x Jinyu Cao - Barbara, The Boot of East End - London

The Boot of East End is part of my portrait study and colour darkroom printing study. The title is inspired by the unique shape of my local park, Victoria Park, on a map, which resembles a boot. I visit this park frequently, always with my camera. As a newcomer from China, I was instantly captivated by the diversity of East London, so different from the metropolitan communities of Shanghai, where I lived before. Photographing people in the park became a way of documenting this diversity, but also, to a foreigner, not a fluent English speaker, it became a way of feeling less alienated, of connecting to the world around me. The project has become a photographic diary of my brief but impactful encounters with all the strangers I saw. These portraits capture how I see the people I consider fascinating, and how they perceive me; the generosity with which they pose for a stranger’s camera. With that, they weave a deeper narrative that reflects this specific community of Victoria Park, with its myriad individual expressions, and an exploration of distance and belonging, capturing those moments of beauty and diversity that define our human condition.

x Jinyu Cao - Anisah, The Boot of East End - London

The Boot of East End is part of my portrait study and colour darkroom printing study. The title is inspired by the unique shape of my local park, Victoria Park, on a map, which resembles a boot. I visit this park frequently, always with my camera. As a newcomer from China, I was instantly captivated by the diversity of east London, so different from the metropolitan communities of Shanghai, where I lived before. Photographing people in the park became a way of documenting this diversity, but also, to a foreigner, not a fluent English speaker, it became a way of feeling less alienated, of connecting to the world around me. The project has become a photographic diary of my brief but impactful encounters with all the strangers I saw. These portraits capture how I see the people I consider fascinating, and how they perceive me; the generosity with which they pose for a stranger’s camera. With that, they weave a deeper narrative that reflects this specific community of Victoria Park, with its myriad of individual expressions, and an exploration of distance and belonging, capturing those moments of beauty and diversity that define our human condition.

x Joe Laverty - Bridie Brown, Still Fighting - Bellaghy, Derry

Bridie Brown’s husband Sean Brown was abducted and murdered in May 1997, just months before long-term peace broke out in Northern Ireland. One of many innocent victims at that time, Sean’s killers have never been brought to justice. Like many others, Bridie continues to fight for justice with dignity and perseverance.

x Joel Jones - Mandinka (As Strong As Oak) - Manchester

Oak is a close friend who recently underwent gender-affirming top surgery, and I had the honour of photographing them at my home in Manchester. Our favourite music filled the room and as we laughed and talked about life, art and our influences, Sinéad O’Connor’s iconic ‘Mandinka’ suddenly started to punch its way out of the speakers; a song that depicts O’Connor’s fight to reclaim her identity and autonomy. As I photographed Oak, I couldn’t help but be entranced by the lyrics: “I don’t know no shame, I feel no pain, I can’t see the flame”, and how powerfully that hit me and aligned with that moment and with Oak’s own fight for autonomy in their identity as a trans person. As Oak removed their jacket, I captured this image. It felt like a throwaway in the moment, but as I was selecting my favourite shots, the lyrics of ‘Mandinka’ echoing in my mind, it stood out above all others. Confidence, emergence and strength.

x Johannah Churchill - Yann, Medical Engineering Apprentice, NHS - Northumberland

x John Behets - A Face of Wisdom - London

A moment of calm at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation.

x John Behets - Freedom - London

Young Hakim highlights some of the many injustices in the world outside Downing Street.

x John Boaz - Fabian, Equestrian Eventer - Hertfordshire

Fabian is an equestrian eventer from east London. His love for horses began at the young age of four. Fabian competes in eventer competitions and has a goal to be the first Black eventing five-times Olympic gold medallist. Fabian (also known as the The Blessed Equestrian) is dedicated to helping bring inclusivity in the equestrian community. From my series ‘Rivers of Living Water’ photographing the diversity of Christianity in Britain.

x John Boaz - Father Philip, Orthodox Monk and Priest - Lincolnshire

Father Philip was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and spent a lot of his childhood growing up in Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia before moving to Britain. Father Philip is an Orthodox monk who recently started a new monastery for male Orthodox monks in Lincolnshire. He also leads a busy church in Lincoln. From my series ‘Rivers of Living Water’ photographing the diversity of Christianity in Britain.

x John Boaz - Isabella - Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire

This portrait of Isabella was taken at the Ashby Steam fair in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Isabella is a member of The Mid-Victorian Society, a historical re-enactment group. She is the secretary of the society and has been a part of the group since she was 12 years old. Isabella has autism, dyslexia, Madelung’s deformity and other disabilities; she is a bike mechanic based in London with a distinction in bike mechanics and a diploma in equine studies. As well as taking part in re-enactments, Isabella also does scuba diving, horse riding, caving, fishing, Muay Thai, bushcraft and many other activities.

x Johnathan Ramsay - Boxing Social - Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland

This fighter and his team travelled all the way from France to compete at a small Thai boxing show at Innisfree Sports & Social Club in the north-east of England. The national sport of Thailand, Muay Thai has a thriving scene in the UK despite not enjoying the mainstream popularity of sports such as boxing and MMA. However, some shows are still hosted in venues with decor like this rather than huge arenas.

x Joshua Atkins - Nathan Wearing an Aphex Twin Shirt - London

Nathan was a punter at Field Day festival in London. Aphex Twin was headlining the festival and I decided to spend time documenting the fans wearing the artist’s iconic logo throughout the day. Nathan stood out, maybe because it appeared he and his friend were carrying laptop bags around with them.

x Juan Trujillo Andrades - The Swimmers - Penzance, Cornwall

A group of men of different ages go for their regular evening swim in the sea. This image captures the companionship and bond these men enjoy, which many in society sadly lack.

x Julia Hawkins - Julia Baker - London

Julia was born in China in 1917 and lived there until 1942 when she settled for a while in her parents’ homeland, Canada. And there she stayed until she met and married a British man and moved to north London in 1961. Julia was very sporty in her youth. Her main passion was lawn tennis but she loved athletics too. She was also a real adventurer, travelling across and volunteering in countries as diverse as Algeria, Tibet, Mexico, USA and India, where she met Mahatma Gandhi when she was 25. Less mobile now, Julia is still able to walk a little with the help of her walking frame. She is looked after by her son Tom, and is much loved within her local community.

x Keiran Perry - Nurlan, Tilek and Alban - Barnsley

For the past couple of years, I spent a lot of time with a travelling circus as they journeyed through Lancashire and into Scotland. Run by a Bulgarian family, the circus was a close-knit community of performers from Ukraine, South America, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan, bound together by the road and the rhythm of their shared life. My van sat among theirs, and from that space, I saw a deeper truth behind the performances. What struck me most was how fluid life felt for them—rooted not in place, but in the people they lived alongside. It wasn’t just about putting on a show; it was about survival and support. Their communal bond kept them moving, and it grounded me in their world. Spending time with the circus made me reexamine my own life, shedding the noise of London and finding space to let go. The image shows three friends from Kyrgyzstan, like brothers—strong, full of life, and warmth. They made their own costumes and approached life with curiosity and playfulness, but in a moments notice, they could dismantle the entire big top tent. They had a strength that was in their bones, strong enough to hang me upside down by my ankles for a laugh. This photo is part of a wider series that will be published as a book. It’s not about the spectacle, but about the spaces between—the moments where life just happens. For me, the work was never about forcing a shot, but about being fully present, allowing the moments to breathe and letting the images emerge from the experience itself.

x Keiran Perry - Jorge on the phone - Rotherham

Over the last couple of years, I had the chance to live off and on with a travelling circus, while they toured my home county of Lancashire and further to Scotland. It was a Bulgarian family-run circus, with members from all around the world, Ukraine, South America, Eastern Europe. My own van was parked among theirs, and I got to experience their way of life up close. Every day was pure graft. They take care of their caravans and equipment, constantly fix engines and repair what needs mending. At night, those same hands perform amazing feats, swinging from wires like diamonds dangling from a chandelier. I have always been interested in communities where people live closely together, especially now, in a post-pandemic world where people seem to yearn for a deeper sense of community. The circus is a mix of old and new ways of living, separate from the towns they visit but also bringing magic to those places. I was really impressed by how dedicated and passionate these performers are. Their daily routines have a quiet beauty to them. It’s a life where hard work during the day transforms into magic at night and anything seems possible. This photograpy project, shot entirely on film, is my way of sharing a different way of life, one that’s close to mine but also very different. Through my images, I want to show the world of the circus – the magic of the performances and the strong sense of community behind the scenes.

x Kris Askey - Man Waiting at the Bus Stop - Blackpool, Lancashire

This man was waiting at a bus stop in the middle of Blackpool and the light reflecting off the windows behind him was creating a beautiful pool of light on the scene. The man was friendly and talked about his youth during the years he enjoyed most, he also had tattoos that were covered up by his clothing.

x Kris Askey - Well-dressed Woman - Blackpool, Lancashire

On a cold Saturday morning this lady walked out of the shadows from a nearby building like a 70s shining star. She agreed to have her portrait taken with her wonderful outfit and pearls on show.

x Kristina Varaksina - Dream Child - London

It took me five long years to get pregnant. My partner and I went through endless tests, exams and treatments, we looked into and considered so many different options for becoming parents. It was an infinite rollercoaster of ups and downs – you say goodbye to the imaginary future you’ve had in your head, you grieve, and you move on. You try to find a new solution. Or a new explanation in your head. Today, roughly one person in six suffers from infertility. But this is a fact not many want to share. Even less discussed are the problems of IVF. According to an article in The Economist from July 2023: “Most courses of treatment fail. That subjects women and couples to cycles of dreaming and dejection – and gives the fertility industry an incentive to sell false hope… Many women go through round after round of hormone injections, sometimes moving from one clinic to the next.”

x Laurie Broughton - Grangtown Blossom - Cardiff

Central to this project is the engagement with Cardiff’s diverse community. Through the power of visual storytelling, we aim to forge lasting connections and create memories that transcend time and space. Each image is a testament to the city’s spirit, reflecting its beauty and diversity in every frame.

x Leon Thompson - God Loves a Fighter - London

A portrait of a friend in 2023, during a chaotic custody battle.

x Liam Sharp - Boy with Freckles - Skegness, Lincolnshire

Boy in Skegness with his mother.

x Lise Leino - Actor Paul Jesson - Powderham, Devon

This is a portrait of the Olivier Award-winning actor Paul Jesson. I shot it for the cover of the acclaimed playwright Richard Nelson’s latest play ‘An Actor Convalescing in Devon’. The play, written for the renowned Shakespearean actor, mirrors his own life on stage. Paul was diagnosed with oral cancer and lost part of his palate, a devastating diagnosis for anyone, but especially for an actor. However, with great inner strength and determination he recovered. This image of Paul is a reflection of his journey through illness and the restorative power of art in the healing process. It captures the beauty of stillness, the silent contemplation of connecting to self.

x Lloyd Wright - Spearfisherman - Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon

Alex let me take his portrait before heading into the ocean at Bigbury-on-Sea to do some spearfishing and crabbing.

x Louis Bever - Orla and Paul Gascoigne - London

Orla is sitting for a portrait on the bed during the Euros, wearing a 1996 England home shirt. She is looking out of the window and is next to a 1996 poster of Paul Gascoigne.

x Lucy Levene - Bed Portrait (148.280.2.3) - London

Lying in bed on a weekend morning with my partner, my daughter and my cat, I was aware of feeling tangibly and deeply happy. I decided to record that moment, which I felt nostalgic for even as it was happening. This was the starting point for the series ‘How Long is Forever?’, which has grown to become a series of collaborative ‘bed’ portraits made with families that live locally to me in Kentish Town. The families are shown asleep in bed, shot from above. I set up the shot in the daytime, rigging the camera and flash centrally and as high as possible above the bed. Participants then have 12 shots available on a roll of medium format colour film to take overnight. The rooms are dark at the time but lit momentarily by the flash. Usually all but the person pressing the trigger are asleep. All images are cropped to the edge of the mattress. Limbs and sometimes faces are cut off awkwardly. Some figures look as if they are trying to escape the frame; there is a sense of claustrophobia. Others appear to fall, float or fly within space. This crop makes visible the changing widths of the beds. The scale of the figures is affected by the ceiling height of the room and these measurements are used to title the images. Before becoming a parent, the message that I received from those around me was that parenthood is relentless; that a part of me would be erased. And while there is truth to this, so much is missing. I wanted to make a piece of work that depicts the physical and emotional intimacy of parenthood in an authentic way and to communicate that it can also be overwhelmingly joyful and funny and full of love. The camera position and height hints at an objective, all-seeing perspective. However, I am not present during the shoot and the shutter release, clearly visible in some images, gives an element of control to the participants. Issues of authorship are explored. Without the photographer in the room, intimacy and love are to some extent performed for the image.

x Maddie Hill - Kat Plumb, Founder of Trans & Enby FC - Liverpool

Trans & Enby FC is a grassroots football club championing the social value of sport in queer communities. I met Kat while photographing their Trans Day of Visibility match – they had paid the pitch rental fees out of their own pocket.

x Madison Griffin - Golden Girls, Silver Sisters - Bournemouth, Dorset

From the series ‘Golden Girls, Silver Sisters’. Deborah is in a community of mature women amateur singers who, as they say in their motto, have “come together weekly to be bold, to be brave, and to be beautiful”. They harmonise with each other to create a symphony with their voices, pouring their hearts out into song without the use of musical instruments.

x Manuela Fraioli - Hiroko Sensei - London

Hiroko’s house in London.

x Margarita Galandina - Tomi Ahmedeus - London

Tomi Ahmedeus is a London-born and based multidisciplinary artist whose practice involves creating sound, scent and film. This portrait was taken in London to mark the release of his debut music album.

x Margarita Galandina - Portrait of Nomin - London

Nomin Altanzurkh in her flat in London in her ninth month of pregnancy. Coming from Mongolia, Nomin is wearing Mongol Deel; her family gifted it for her engagement.

x Marge Bradshaw - LGBTQ+ Gynae Stories: Sarah-Jane - Cheadle, Greater Manchester

Sarah-Jane (she/her) describes herself as a 47-year-old unapologetically queer, fat woman from Manchester. In October 2019 she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and womb cancer. She’d been suffering for more than two years with pain, fatigue, bloating, sickness, changes to her bowel habits, irregular bleeding, an inability to eat properly, shortness of breath and weight loss. Despite her body telling her that something was wrong, every time she went to see a doctor, she was given pain medication or anti-sickness tablets to help with her symptoms. She was fat shamed: repeatedly sent away and told that her symptoms would stop if she lost weight. She wasn’t examined, offered a blood test, or referral. Sarah-Jane told me: “It took a doctor that looked like me to listen. She was the first doctor in two years to physically examine me, and she could immediately feel my tumour. Six hours later, after an emergency CT scan I was told they’d found a 4kg mass which was filling my abdomen, crushing other organs, causing damage to my bowel and pushing up into my diaphragm – reducing my lung capacity and ability to breathe. Eight weeks later after major abdominal surgery to save my life I heard the phrases that nobody wants to hear: ‘We found advanced ovarian cancer and womb cancer’, ‘two primary cancers’, ‘too advanced to cure’, ‘should see four years’. I was 42 and had every single symptom of womb and ovarian cancer, yet my GP repeatedly told me that the issue was my fat body – not the 4kg cancerous tumour growing and advancing inside me, limiting my life. Medical staff weren’t able to say the words ‘vulva’ or ‘vagina’ without embarrassment, so I was never even fully informed about the surgery I had consented to: nobody told me that I would be left with only 2cm of vagina; nobody explained how a surgery that removed the whole of my reproductive system causing a surgical menopause would change how I feel and experience sex and intimacy with a body changed by cancer.”

x Mariola Zoladz - Weronika - London

The picture was captured in my recently opened studio in Hackney. Weronika Tofilska is a London-based Polish director (episodes 1-4 of the ‘Baby Reindeer’ Netflix series) and writer (‘Love Blind Bleeding’).

x Marjolein Martinot - Henry with His Dogs - Stroud, Gloucestershire

While photographing in the Cotswolds, I met Henry, a gamekeeper. Originally from Northern Ireland, he had been living and working in the area for a few years. He had four of his six dogs with him, and they kept frantically running around him the whole time while I was taking his picture. He impressed me with the gentle way he managed to play with them as I kept on photographing. When I asked Henry if he had a favourite dog, he answered that it was the white spaniel.

x Mark Anthony Gillies - Father Morton - Glasgow, Scotland

Father Paul Morton has served at St Bride’s Church in Cambuslang for over 20 years. Notably, he is the first Catholic priest in Scotland to advocate for LGBTQ+ education in schools, a stance that has drawn criticism for his inclusive and progressive beliefs. It was a privilege to be welcomed into his home and have an open conversation about the future of the church, the impact of the coronavirus on his parish, and current political affairs.

x Mark Harrison - Sir David Attenborough - Downe Bank, Kent

Photographed at the place where Charles Darwin studies for ‘On the Origin of Species’. This was a chance to record a man who has changed the way we think about our world.

x Marley Starskey Butler - Day 31,025 - Wolverhampton, Staffordshire

I make portraits of my mother/nan/aunt and private foster carer Ena for each of her birthdays, titling them with the number of days she has been alive. This one is ‘Day 31,025’.

x Matthew Morgan - Peter Bray, Treverva Male Choir - Penryn, Cornwall

A short investigation into the people that are part of a male voice choir in Cornwall (Mylor). Much like numerous other choirs across the country, Treverva Male Choir meet weekly to raise their voices in harmony. They exemplify the significance of community bonds, demonstrating that individuals are never truly alone. Within the choir, each member possesses a unique background and story. However, when they unite in song, they become a singular entity, transcending individual narratives to create something truly beautiful together. Members frequently describe their rehearsal nights as ‘treasured’ moments in their week. It’s a time where men from all walks of life gather to partake in the simple yet profound act of singing. They find comfort within the music, allowing it to wash away the burdens of the week. Through this shared experience, they learn invaluable lessons in commitment, community, and the profound joy of collective expression.

x Michael Tiedke - Temitope Ayobami Ogunseitan - Cardiff

Temitope at the Sustainable Studios.

x Ming de Nasty - Paul - Shrewsbury, Shropshire

“My coming-out experiences were definitely shadowed by the spectre of Aids and HIV. I was never one of those gay men to put myself entirely behind gay causes. There were aspects of my life that were in the closet and other aspects that were out. The whole environment then was Thatcher’s Section 28 and all that pretend-family relationship rubbish.”

x Natalie Willatt - Bell Ringer - Stoke Minster, Staffordshire

Ray, Stoke Minster, Picturing High Streets.

x Niamh Shergold - Maria & Connie - Falmouth, Cornwall

‘Lost and Found’ is a series of medium format portraits, utilising daylight to illuminate gestures of intimacies within my subjects to embrace reality. Each couple was approached through social media platforms and I selected them as the way they revealed themselves authentically inspired me. I deliberately chose outdoor locations as backdrops, as rock formations and ancient trees elicit feelings of permanence and security in an ever-increasing unstable world. In a love lost generation, my endeavour is to highlight connections found and strengthened by real understanding and acceptance of one another. These bonds are manifested through body language and fixed eternally by my photographs.

x Nic Shuttleworth - Mary and Terry - Tadcaster, North Yorkshire

A portrait of Mary and Terry on their tenth wedding anniversary in February, sharing a kiss.

x Nicholas Priest - Harley Hudson - Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire

Taken at the PEW Brave New World, Ettington, this is Harley Hudson AKA Hudzilla, pro wrestler and Pink Princess, TNA Gutcheck '23 winner': “I am an independent pro wrestler from Liverpool, personal trainer and aspiring model.” Over the last year, I have made portraits of the wrestlers of Phenomenal Elite Wrestling (PEW) based in Stratford-upon-Avon, where I grew up. Wrestling has always been fascinating, from the drama, theatre and performance to the athleticism and training. When the wrestlers walk from behind the curtain and see the ring they become their character, they are the wrestler.

x Nicholas Teo - The Lily, National Flower of Kazakhstan - Bournemouth, Dorset

Madina as the Lily of Durdle Door, from the series ‘Nature Finds a Way’. ‘Nature Finds a Way’ is an editorial project merging documentary, beauty and fine art to showcase human resilience and adaptability. Using the visual motif of flowers, it features individuals who have moved to the UK from around the world. Each person is depicted as the national flower of their home country and photographed in a UK landscape, creating a tapestry of migrant voices.

x Nicholas Teo - Tapestry - Bournemouth, Dorset

Seven disabled individuals, each with different conditions, modelling handmade sustainable patchwork garments. Part of a larger series titled ‘Tapestry’, it explores the story of the disabled community and sustainable patchwork garment designers, highlighting the parallels between the two and the challenges faced by both. Beginning with intimate documentary photography and culminating in a fashion editorial where both narratives meet, ‘Tapestry’ is a human insight into the realities of living with disability, fighting climate change, and the triumph of the human spirit.

x Nik Hartley - Wigan Wrestling - Wigan, Greater Manchester

Ian Skinner, shot at Grand Pro Wrestling in Wigan, May 2024.

x Olivier Lavenac - The Prince of Shoreditch - London

Abdou Karim was leaning against a wall in Shoreditch, London, when suddenly a strong ray of light hit his face, then I took this picture of him looking at me. I like the impassiveness of his expression, the intensity and strength of his gaze, which the chiaroscuro highlights, the way it would in a Renaissance painting.

x Ollie Tikare - Micah and Dion - London

Micah photographed on an east London street. We initially met on a dancefloor and bonded over a shared love for afro-centric music and rude boy fashion. It led to a friendship and a series of creative exchanges where we have tried to reimagine rude boy style within a modern setting as visual inspiration for a club night I co-run called "Don’t Touch My Fro!". Dion, who poses next to him, I also met on a dancefloor after spotting him grooving and asking him if he wanted to join the vision. Both are frequent attendees of the event and have in turn become poster boys for the party.

x Ophelia Wynne - June - Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

June 88 at a Jive and Stroll Club

x Ophelia Wynne - George - Lowestoft, Suffolk

George lives in Lowestoft and volunteers for the RNLI.

x Orlando Gili - Zhenya, Ukrainian Refugee in London - London

This is Ukrainian refugee Zhenya, photographed in the London household where she and her mum have been put up. Zhenya is now flourishing as an art student at the University of Edinburgh, while her mum stays in London and her dad remains conscripted to the army in Ukraine. Zhenya is in daily contact with her best friends from home via a WhatsApp group – three of the four friends have long left for western Europe. This is just one relatively positive story, from millions of displaced families due to the Ukrainian war. Part of an onging portrait series about Ukrainian women who’ve left their country for a new life in the UK.

x Ossi Piispanen - Man and His Dog - Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

When the UK was hit by a record-breaking September heatwave, I escaped London to return to Clacton for a beach break with my point-and-shoot camera. I was surprised by how open people are once you leave London. Everyone in Clacton was quick to engage with me, with no-one shy of the camera. As I entered this Martin Parr-esque world for two days, I spoke to many locals about why they had moved to Clacton and how things were going. Jaywick has regularly been ranked as the most deprived area in the UK, while Clacton-on-Sea is at number 46 in the government’s 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation statistics. Known as a bustling yet affordable seaside resort for Britons, Clacton recorded one of the highest Leave votes in the 2016 referendum. People hoped for more control over immigration and increased investment in the NHS. However, in reality, Clacton and Jaywick have witnessed a significant exodus of their labour force, leaving the hospitality industry in trouble.

x Paul Spencer - Esme - Portsmouth, Hampshire

Esme relaxing at home on her 15th birthday.

x Peter Flude - Rita - London

I met the eccentric and glamorous Rita in a luxury jewellery store in Knightsbridge, where she was evidently well known and adored by the staff.

x Peter Flude - Caroline Lucas - Brighton, East Sussex

I photographed Caroline in her final weeks as a serving Green Party MP before the announcement of the 2024 General Election. As we walked through Brighton towards Victoria Gardens, she was greeted with numerous cheers and words of support from members of the public who passed us.

x Peter Flude - Neville on His Last Day in England - Portsmouth, Hampshire

Neville, 60, was forced to return to Jamaica after being dismissed from his job at a care home. He believed the decision was unjust, but was unable to file an unfair dismissal claim as he had been employed for less than two years. He rented accommodation from his employer, living in a property with 16 other tenants who were forced to share their single bedrooms. Without another work sponsor, Neville had to leave the country. I met him the day before his departure. He wore a ring around his neck, which he said was for good luck.

x Phil Sharp - Louise Brealey - London

Louise Brealey is an English actress, writer and journalist, working across TV, film, radio and stage.

x Phil Sharp - Francesca Mills - London

Francesca Mills is an actor from Loggerheads, Staffordshire. She has worked in TV, film and on stage, winning at the 2024 Ian Charleson Awards for her performance in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at The Globe.

x Phil Tragen - Warden of Princes Road - Liverpool

Princes Road Synagogue in Liverpool is approaching its 150th anniversary and the building is a Grade-I listed baroque splendour. However, the congregation has gone from past glories to a dwindling few. This portrait of Peter, a former senior warden of the synagogue, is one of a series about the men and women, all around 80 years old, who volunteer their time to keep this institution and its traditions alive.

x Philip Coburn - Divine with coronet - London

Divine Mbaloula in Enfield, north London. Divine has an older sister, 18, and twin brothers, 15. One twin contracted meningitis aged four and is now non-verbal. Divine cares for him along with her mother. Her brother also has autism and learning difficulties. Her mother, Augustine, 52, originally from Congo, moved to the UK in 2001. The family live in temporary housing and are forever being moved around between emergency accommodations.

x Phoebe Nightingale - Nate - Kent

A celebration of his recent top surgery, forever documented as a moment of pure joy, excitement and pride.

x Rachel Louise Brown - Lauren Cuthbertson - London

Photographed backstage during the dress rehearsal of A Winter’s Tale at the Royal Opera House for Harper's Bazaar UK.

x Rachel Louise Brown - Ethio-Selam Troupe, Giffords Circus - Fennels Farm, Stroud, Gloucestershire

x Rehan Jamil - Bodrul Islam - London

A volunteer at the East London Mosque for many years, Bodrul Islam stands by the car park gate directing worshippers towards the mosque during Friday prayers, known as Jummah prayers. The mosque accommodates a congregation of up to 7000 worshippers during Friday prayers so without the team of volunteers, such as Bodrul, the mosque could not operate safely.

x Richard Cannon - D-Day Veteran Syd Podd - Ipswich, Suffolk

Syd is 101, he was in the Royal Air Force with 644 Squadron and was an operational air gunner. They flew Halifax Bombers and towed gliders over Normandy on D-Day. The background image was taken during training over Suffolk just before D-Day. The portrait is part of a wider project on D-Day veterans in collaboration with the Blind Veterans charity for the 80th anniversary on 06 June 2024.

x Robbie Murrie - Brian the Cowboy - Glasgow

From a project I am working on exploring the relationship between American culture and the Scottish people. Taking inspiration from the photographic tradition of the American road trip but set against the backdrop of Scotland.

x Robin Currie - Puke - Glasgow

Having been raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Puke now uses the art form of drag as a means of therapy and revenge against the church. Here I have photographed them in the comfort of their own living room in Glasgow.

x Roman Manfredi - Del - London

Both Kin and Del were participants in my intergenerational project We/Us. Butches and Studs from Working Class Backgrounds Within the British Landscape. The pic of Del was one of the first pictures I took which I used for my Arts Council proposal (I then re-photographed Del because this headshot didn't fit with the others in terms of composition) so this was one of my test shots so to speak. Del is the project's oldest participant, 74 when this was taken in 2021. She has identified as a butch lesbian since the 1960's. It was taken in her bedroom in Battersea, London and shot on medium format film on my Hasselblad 500cm.

x Roman Manfredi - Kin - London

Kin was one of the younger studs from the project. This picture was taken in 2023 after We/Us was exhibited. It was taken on the industrial estate where she worked as a teenager in Tottenham, London and shot on large format 4x5 film.

x Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom aka Fotómetro - Min Ji with Her Cats - London

Min Ji Kim is a London-based fashion designer, photographed in her London apartment wearing her design and posing with her cats who are also wearing her designs. This portrait is a part of our series ‘Proof of Existence’, which involves the creation of various characters, each with their unique personality and world, captured in everyday locations and situations. The project’s theme is to normalise the weirdness within us, celebrating our differences and showcasing that they exist in all of us; we’re all strange characters who are a part of society. Through our work, we aim to make a social impact by changing the way we view others. We advocate for solidarity, open-mindedness, and greater inclusion and diversity in the media and the world at large.

x Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom aka Fotómetro - Wet Mess in Camden Town - London

Wet Mess is a queer drag artist and movement director from London. Photographed in Camden Town with locals while wearing a large muscle suit, emphasising their genderless identity. This portrait is a part of our series ‘Proof of Existence’, which involves the creation of various characters, each with their unique personality and world, captured in everyday locations and situations. The project’s theme is to normalise the weirdness within us, celebrating our differences and showcasing that they exist in all of us; we’re all strange characters who are a part of society. Through our work, we aim to make a social impact by changing the way we view others. We advocate for solidarity, open-mindedness, and greater inclusion and diversity in the media and the world at large.

x Rory Langdon-Down - Woody - London

Woody plays football for Brentford Penguins, a football team for players with Down’s Syndrome. He is an avid Brentford FC fan and is often the first person that Bees players run to in the crowd after scoring a goal.

x Rory Lewis - Trooper Collins: A Trailblazer Among the First Women in the Household Cavalry Regiment - London

Trooper Collins stands out as a pioneering figure as one of the first women to serve in the Household Cavalry Regiment. Her inclusion in the Regiment, known for its distinguished history and traditionally male ranks, marks a significant moment. Her story is documented as part of a broader project that traces the evolution of the Regiment.

x Rosie Hallam - D-Day 80: Gilbert Clarke, 98, Normandy Veteran, Royal Air Force - London

Born on 03 December 1925 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Gilbert – pictured here at The Union Jack Club, Waterloo – volunteered to join the Royal Air Force in 1943. Joining other new recruits in South Virginia before crossing the Atlantic Ocean in convoy, Gilbert was based at British and American air bases where he fitted, serviced and repaired RADAR and other electronic equipment for planes including Hurricanes.

x Safa B Malik - Leanne Mohamad - London

Leanne is British by nationality, Palestinian by heritage and was raised in the town of Ilford. She has principled values and a strong commitment to helping her people. Her community selected her to stand as an independent candidate for Ilford North in the 2024 General Election at the age of 24. This portrait was taken at Frenford Youth Centre during campaigning season where she has previously worked as a local youth worker.

x Sam Riley - Olivia – Never Out of the Fight - Maidstone, Kent

This is 14-year old kickboxer Olivia Fuller in the seconds after her competition fight at Ballys Nightclub. ‘Never Out of the Fight’ is an ongoing project I started in 2018 and so far I’ve shot over 100 portraits of boxers and kickboxers in the seconds after their fights. Whether they have won or lost, just after a match, a fighter’s adrenaline is still charging, emotions are raw and without artifice. The power of a portrait comes from its ability to capture emotion as authentically as possible, so there is no make-up here; all blood, sweat and tears are the fighter’s own.

x Sam Riley - Patrick – Never Out of the Fight - Maidstone, Kent

This is a portrait of 20 year old boxer Patrick Mead in the seconds after his competition fight at Ballys Nightclub. ‘Never Out of the Fight’ is an ongoing project I started in 2018 and so far I’ve shot over 100 portraits of boxers and kickboxers in the seconds after their fights. Whether they have won or lost, just after a match, a fighter’s adrenaline is still charging, emotions are raw and without artifice. The power of a portrait comes from its ability to capture emotion as authentically as possible, so there is no make-up here; all blood, sweat and tears are the fighter’s own.

x Sean Allard - Girl in White Dress - Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

A young gypsy girl wearing a traditional white Victorian-style dress. The photograph was taken at the Stow Horse Fair, a centuries-old gathering of gypsy travellers in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, England. Established in 1476, the fair has evolved from a trading hub for livestock and horses into a significant event that showcases the heritage and traditions of the gypsy traveller community. This portrait is part of an ongoing documentary series following the community since 2018, highlighting enduring traditions and customs that define their way of life.

x Seán Anthony - Amir - London

I met Amir on Tottenham High Road. We discussed what it was like growing up in the area, sharing the challenges and risks of following one’s passions while making ends meet in the current economic climate.

x Seán Anthony - Paul - London

Paul is a lifelong teddy boy and a long-time bus driver. During his youth, Paul and his friends would visit Brighton beach on bank holidays. “Too old for all that now,” he told me.

x Shahfaq Shahbaz - The Power of the Veil - London

The feminist fight for women to be perceived as more than just their bodies is rooted in resistance and empowerment. Women experience judgement around the way they present themselves. Muslim women are told that they are oppressed by the French government who then violate Muslim women’s freedom of expressing their religion. Muslim women consistently fight the French oppression through modesty. Wearing a hijab or niqab is also empowering. There is beauty in resisting the forces that blur you. The United Nations Human Rights Committee found that France violated the human rights of two women by fining them for wearing the nigab, a full-body Islamic veil.

x Shahid Bashir - Cold Fire - London

Whilst on a shoot with Adukita from D1 London, I noticed a poetic moment with a hypnotically penetrating gaze, squarely aligned within the fireplace, I had to capture it.

x Shahid Bashir - 180 Brick Lane - London

Bashir brothers have been proprietors at this retail outlet for over 50 years. Amidst the increased gentrification of the area they haven't sold their corner shop and are a testament to a time gone by, a tribute to Asian migrant communities of the 70s.

x Simon King - Mohammad and his Daughter - London

This portrait was made during a protest in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, as the local community came together to fly kites. Kites are a popular Palestinian pastime, and in 2011 over 12,000 children flew kites together on a beach in northern Gaza, setting a world record. This protest in Wanstead, east London, highlighted that more children had been killed in the conflict than had flown the world-record breaking number of kites over a decade ago.

x Simon King - Neturei Karta - London

This group of Haredi Rabbis are a common sight at anti-Zionist demonstrations in central London. Representing a fringe sect of the religion their traditional garb is iconic: simple black shoes, plain high socks, long black coats, and cylindrical fur hats. While their appearance is immediately recognisable their views are complex and nuanced, perhaps subtler than some assume; their theology is one of submission to God, as he alone can decide fate. This is at odds with the idea of Jewish self-determinism, which among other factors leaves them at odds with much of the wider Jewish identifying peoples.

x Sophie Ellen Lachowycz - Dr Liz O’Riordan - Elmswell, Suffolk

Dr Liz O’Riordan is a consultant breast surgeon who herself had breast cancer, with two reoccurrences, resulting in a mastectomy. Liz was forced to retire and now uses her time to raise awareness and educate others about breast cancer, publishing books, recording podcasts and using social media to educate and inform others. Photographed for my ‘In My Skin’ personal photographic project, Liz and I met in person on the shoot, spending a couple of hours experimenting with capturing a portrait to show her story and herself as the inspirational, powerful woman that she is.

x Steve Reeves - Jack - Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire

Sheffield-born Jack was among the first British troops to reach the French coast on D-Day. He arrived on Gold Beach five minutes before midnight on 05 June 1944. The then-19-year-old Royal Marine was the coxswain of a 60-foot boat. His job was to work with frogmen to destroy German sea defences before the main invasion began. Later, during the D-Day invasion itself, he went against orders and rescued the crew of a French craft that was on fire and drifting into a minefield. Jack was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the French equivalent of the Victoria Cross, for this courageous act. In Jack’s words, “I just did my job’, adding, “A lot of other men did valiant things, but nobody saw them doing it.” Jack passed away at the age of 99 on 26 January 2024, about six weeks after I took this shot.

x Steve Reeves - Rajindar - London

Rajindar is one of the last surviving Sikh soldiers who fought in the British-Indian army during the Second World War. He lives with his son’s family in Hounslow. The 101-year-old is still very independent. He walks without a stick and makes his bed with military precision every morning.

x Steve Reid - Allan, Machinist - Musselburgh, East Lothian

Allan, photographed at DW Cases in Musselburgh. A lovely small company I happened across when looking for cardboard boxes. Immediately I was captivated by the untouched and original nature of the factory unit and its machines, along with beautiful light streaming into the building so I asked if I could come back with my camera to take some photos of the building and staff.

x Sukhy Hullait - Dawn - London

Dawn, a volunteer at a food bank, is seen here working on deliveries in East Dulwich, carrying them into the centre to be sorted.

x Tee Waite - Sammy, 1700 - London

Throughout history transgender people and their stories have been ignored. The few illustrations there are of transgender people are often of them being belittled. Therefore, I created portraits of historic transgender men to give them the images they deserved but never got.

x Theo McInnes & Thomas Ralph - Raymond - Portland Bill, Dorset

Raymond, an Ugandan asylum seeker temporarily housed aboard the contentious Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset. This portrait is taken from the series Bibby Boys which seeks highlight the resilience and humanity of asylum seekers in the UK.

x Theo McInnes - Ian - Portland Bill, Dorset

Ian, taking part in a fishing competition off Portland Bill. The portrait is from the series ‘ISLE’.

x Theo McInnes & Thomas Ralph - Wilfred - Portland, Dorset

Wilfred, an Ivorian asylum seeker temporarily housed aboard the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge walks the coastal path on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. This portrait is taken from the series Bibby Boys which highlights the resilience and humanity of displaced individuals who have come to call Portland their temporary home.

x Thomas Dryden-Kelsey - Bumps and Scrapes - Wiltshire

From the series ‘Raising Doron’, documenting the everyday of being a family brought together by adoption.

x Thomas Ralph - Danuja - London

A young British Tamil commemorates the 15th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal genocide, Trafalgar Square, 18 May 2024.

x Tim Anger - Ntinga Steams Up - London

Ntinga is a mountain of a man. He was born in Durban but his family moved to Ireland when he was young. He is quiet out on the paddock, letting his actions do his talking. This portrait was taken minutes after suffering a close loss to long-time rivals Blackheath. The two teams first played in 1864 in what is recorded as the first club rugby fixture. The frustration of the loss shows on his face, and his effort in the steam rising from his head on a cold November evening in London.

x Toby Binder - Roden Street Boys, from the series "Wee Muckers – Youth of Belfast"

Jackson, Jude, Pacey and Jake at a fire on wasteland at Rodan Street.

x Tom Harrison - Malkeet Singh, Referee - London

From the project ‘Referees of the Hackney Marshes’. The Marshes is internationally known as the spiritual home of Sunday league football, with 82 football pitches for grassroots football. The referees are at the centre of the action, and turn up week after week, despite often facing abuse from players and supporters.

x Tom Parsons - Jake – Britain’s Most Sociable Hermit - Bogancloch, Cairngorms

I spent a week with Jake, photographing him around his house near the Cairngorms in Scotland. I stayed in his caravan guest house, 15ft up a tree. Tongue-in-cheek he calls himself “Britain’s most sociable hermit” as you can rent his caravan on Airbnb.

x Tom Pilston - Balvinder and Kashmir Gill - Oxfordshire

Balvinder Gill with his mother, Kashmir, who was among the sub-postmasters wrongly convicted during the Post Office scandal in what has been called one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history.

x Tom Ringsby - Joyce - London

Joyce Cisse on the first day of summer in her local Greenwich park.

x Tracey Welch and artist Brett Evans Biedscheid - Wolf in Transit - Braunston, Northamptonshire

This image is a collaboration with Tracey Welch and artist Brett Evans Biedscheid. The collaboration brings together my photographic experience, knowledge of the canal system and the characters that live on it, with Brett’s expertise in storytelling through illustration. The collaboration creates atmospheric and emotive images. This image is of Nick Wolfe, who lives on an old historical narrowboat named Aldgate. He says the best thing about boat life is the freedom and having a change of scenery every day as well as being so close to nature. Brett’s treatment of the image brings out the physical nature of Nick’s life on the boat and the industrial atmosphere reminiscent of times past.

x Tyler Matthias - Helen Housby, MBE - London

“Female sport is on the rise” – Helen Housby

x Virginie Khateeb - Bob the Handyman - London

I spotted Bob in my garden while he was fixing a wall in the basement flat. I was so struck by his unique features, especially by his deep blue eyes and shiny white hair, that I felt the need to learn his life story. I headed downstairs with a tea and asked him to pose for a portrait. At 75 years old, Bob is still working every day as his pension barely provides for his and his wife’s essential needs. “I want to take my wife on holidays,” he said.

x Vladimir Studenic - Zainab Jaffa - London

Zainab has run a small grocery shop on Rye Lane in Peckham for decades. This area is rapidly evolving, and she does not think she will be trading in the same way in the near future. This is from the series ‘The Voice of Peckham’.

x Vlatko Mitashev - Al Mennie, Snow Surfing - Derry

Big wave surfer Al Mennie in a rare snow surf session.

x Wayne Hanson - Sharon. Primary School Teacher and Activist - London

Sharon Coles, a primary school teacher, was present at the Free Julian Assange protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice. She told me: “Julian is a beacon of light within journalism, trying to reveal the truth which government strives to hide”. I love the gentle nature of her posture and her energy. In contrast to the typical loud and angry image associated with protesting, she defies the usual stereotypes.

x William Clinton Ogbebor - Esmine’s Haberdashery - London

Esmine is a local seamstress in North Finchley, London, who has run and owned Finishing Touches haberdashery and needlecraft shop for over 20 years. She and her shop are a beloved presence in the neighbourhood.

x Zuzu Valla - Nancy - London

Nancy Harris, a 57-year-old model with Zebedee Talent, has been modelling for seven years. Formerly a PE and dance teacher, she lost her leg in a trampoline accident at 30 and faced numerous challenges adjusting to life with an above-knee amputation. Overcoming these barriers, she embraced her differences and gained confidence, becoming an advocate for disability representation. Nancy uses fashion to express herself and challenge misconceptions about disabilities. She dreams of a more inclusive society and continues to inspire by sharing her journey and advocating for equal opportunities.

x Zuzu Valla - Lauren & Elena - London

Lauren and Elena, best friends who both have Down’s syndrome, share an unbreakable bond and a contagious joy. Their friendship is a beautiful testament to love, resilience and the power of connection.